Prize Recipient

Collin Joseph

Background:

My name is Collin Joseph, and I am 18 years old. I was both born and raised in the Bronx, NY. My deep interest in physics springs forth from the natural curiosity I had as a child. My parents claim that I was the most alert and inquisitive child that they have met. This childlike quest for knowledge readily developed into a deep interest in physics. By middle school I was already enthused about relativity, and intrigued by quantum mechanics. Through physics, the scientist can approach deep questions about nature in a logical and systematic fashion. Perhaps this level of abstraction is what draws me more towards the theoretical aspect of physics.

I have already begun my personal quest towards an understanding of nature through research. I spent the summer of 2004 in Barcelona, Spain assisting in research in condensed matter physics on the phenomenon of super radiance, on which I published a paper. In the fall of 2004, I started my first year at Yale University, and this Summer I am studying Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics with a faculty member there.

In addition to my interest in physics, I also am very interested in music. I play classical piano, and have been the pianist at my local church for almost five years. I also have dabbled in writing prose. I feel that these additional pursuits are also important to the cultivation of a well rounded character, one that is able to lead in our cosmopolitan society.

In the future I hope to become a full-time professor at a university, and continue to study physics, widening both my personal understanding and the knowledge base of my fellow human beings.